Primary Decision Making and Administration in a Recovery House

A major component of recovery housing is allowing residents to manage their own environment as much as possible, depending on their level of support, as well as developing residents into leaders and peers who can support one another in their journey of recovery.

In Level III homes, residents are typically early in their recovery, and it may not be possible for them to focus on their own recovery and support others at the same time.  Consequently, the home has a supervised environment where there may not be a great deal of resident flexibility. Staff are present in the home whenever residents are present within the home, such as a live-in house manager.

In Level III homes, there is an organizational hierarchy to support those who are new in their recovery journey. Residents may participate in managing the home by being a part of a resident council, take part in the grievance or concern process or provide feedback when the organization is making updates to their policies and procedures. Residents may or may not have a say in who is moving into the home or who is being asked to move out of the home.

Generally, it is staff who supervise the home to ensure that the home remains appropriately recovery supportive.

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In Level II homes, residents have at least some recovery experience. The house is monitored but not always supervised.  Therefore, residents must take some responsibility in ensuring that the code of conduct and overall environment is safe and supportive. Residents in a Level II home are expected to look out for one another, bring up any issues or concerns they have with one another and may even be asked to check in on one another.

Residents in a Level II home may have the ability to discuss and vote on policies and procedures, such as updates or changes to the code of conduct. All residents in a Level II home should have at least some voice in the process of new residents moving into the home, or a way for residents to raise their concerns and have them addressed. Residents in a Level II are also expected to actively support one another in some fashion.

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Level I homes are peer run, meaning the residents run the home. Residents are the ones who ensure chores are completed and run house meetings themselves.

While there are some basic policies and procedures in place to ensure that the home remains appropriately recovery supportive, residents themselves get to decide on certain elements of the house code of conduct, get the final determination on who gets to move into the house and decide if they are going to ask someone to move out of the house. Residents of a Level I home will also have means and methods for supporting one another within the home.